Twisted Triangles
by darkflame1516
Summary: sequel to The Ghost Goddess. When all seems well between friends, jealousy rises and threatens to rip them apart. Can the trio plus Naomi save the day, or will Amity Park be lost to Envy?
1. Prologue: A Watchful Eye

not really, but i wanted to catch ur attention

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**MWUAHAHAHA!! Yes, I have really returned! XD**

**And I have brought the sequel to The Ghost Goddess with me! YAY! (I'd suggest reading that one first if you haven't already, but only cause it might be confusing if you haven't.)**

**Please enjoy it at your convenience…**

**Twisted Triangles**

**Prologue - ****A Watchful Eye**

"Danny, that box goes over there…No, over _there_! Sam, could you…TUCKER WATCH OU-OW!!"

Naomi began hopping around the room, holding her left foot in her hands in front of her while Tucker stared guiltily down at the remains of the lamp he'd been carrying.

"Sorry, Naomi," he said in a genuinely apologetic tone. She finally stopped jumping, firmly placing both feet onto the ground as she looked at him, one eye clenched shut in pain.

"It's okay; I didn't really like that lamp anyway. Or that foot."

"I guess Tucker didn't like it either," Sam piped up and the four friends exchanged brief glances before bursting into laughter. Danny nearly dropped the box he was holding, causing Naomi to gasp in concern.

"Danny, _careful_! That's my…uh…comic book collection." She whispered the last part, an embarrassed blush spreading over her cheeks. As she rushed over to help him with the heavy box her hand brushed against his, and when their eyes met over the box they smiled at each other.

_Interesting…_

As the two began to carry the box through the doorway and into the hall beyond, Sam quickly rummaged through the half-empty boxes for a dustpan, her lavender eyes avoiding the sight of her friends. Meanwhile, Tucker gazed longingly at Naomi's back as she walked away, an expression of puppy-like devotion filling the young boy's face.

_Very interesting…_

"Tucker, quit daydreaming and help me clean up _your_ mess!" Sam's angry tone seemed to snap him from his thoughts and he knelt down on the floor beside her. Taking the dustpan, he finally seemed to notice how much the young girl was shaking.

"Sam…" He began slowly, putting a gentle hand on her quivering shoulder but she jerked her body away from his touch.

"Don't even start, Tucker."

"Why not?" He whined, frowning.

"Because I already know what you're going to say; you've been a broken record about it lately." He opened his mouth but she held up a hand to cut him off. "I am _not_ jealous."

"Yeah, and Paulina's going to publicly shave her head on Monday."

"Just clean up your mess," she replied as she stood up angrily and stormed from the room, heading in the opposite direction from Danny and Naomi.

"Oh sure, _she's_ not jealous…" Tucker began sweeping up the broken shards of glass and metal. "Hey, how come I always get stuck with the cleanup?"

_I think this "Sam" may prove quite useful… _

The spying stranger slowly drifted into the next room, unseen by the lonely techno-geek. Danny and Naomi set the box down on the floor of her new bedroom.

"You know…" She looked around the room at all of the stacked containers. "Somehow I thought my room would be bigger."

"Well, your box collection _does_ take up a lot of space," Danny said, smiling insanely at her. She gave a small sarcastic laugh before smacking him lightly on the arm.

"Has anyone ever mentioned that you aren't really that funny?"

"Well, Tucker has, but his jokes are worse than mine so I just didn't listen." At the mention of their friend, Naomi looked down, tugging nervously on her left earlobe. "So…comic books?" Her head shot back up rapidly, the bright red blush instantly returning to her face.

"Umm…yeah. I've been collecting them since I was seven; I always hated dolls for some reason," she responded, sitting down on the uncovered mattress of her bed. Danny sat beside her, so close that their legs were touching.

_Hmm…_

"Don't be so embarrassed, I think it's cool…Everyday you manage to surprise me and it's fun to try and figure you out. You're a real-life mystery, Naomi." He grinned at her and she smiled in return.

"Well, you're quite the enigma yourself." He gave her a confused look and she groaned, putting her palm to her face. "Enigma _means_ mystery, Danny."

"Oh…have I mentioned recently that you're smart?"

"I went to an all-girls boarding school for the last six years; there was nothing to do _but_ study, so what do you expect? And yes, you have mentioned it recently."

"A lot of guys really like intelligent girls, you know. You shouldn't be so embarrassed about it," he said, beginning to lean towards her. Naomi's eyes grew wider when Danny touched her hand.

"I'm…not." Her voice came out as a surprised whisper and she moved closer to him.

_Hmm…very interesting indeed…_

Their faces drew closer and closer together, their eyes closing in tandem. However, just before they made contact, Danny gasped and a blue mist escaped his lips only to hit Naomi square in the face. He leapt up from the bed and assumed a fighting stance while Naomi rubbed at her nose.

"Do you know how cold that is, Danny? Not to mention gross…" She complained unhappily. White rings formed at his waist, traveling up and down his body as he transformed.

"Sorry, but I really can't contro-"

"Foolish mortals!" A small ghost that vaguely resembled a lumberjack rose from the box at their feet, causing Danny to groan in annoyance.

"Not you again!"

"You thought to defeat me, but in this pile of corrugated cardboard, it is _you_ who shall meet you doom!" He laughed in a feeble attempt to sound maniacal which only caused Danny to groan again.

_It was not me whom he sensed…But I best leave before my presence is discovered as well…_

With a deep sigh, the boy began to fight. The Box Ghost launched packages at him too fast for him to dodge them all and Naomi's expression began to grow steadily more horrified as her possessions were scattered. Danny aimed at his foe, missed, and one of his stray ecto-blasts hit the box on the floor. Naomi's face flushed red and her teeth clenched together as pieces of her precious comic books flew into the air, singed beyond recognition.

The watchful eye slowly departed the scene, smiling to himself.

_This will prove to be quite interesting…_

"DANNY!"

* * *

Hmm…only a prologue into the story and it seems as if some mysterious force already has plans for the four friends…what will happen next? Only I know, and you'll have to stay tuned to find out! XD

(I hope to have the next chapter up within two weeks, as I am currently working on chapter 2 and therefore ahead of schedule already, unlike usually . However, it all depends on how many tests my beta has in the meantime, since schoolwork is more important than editing…most of the time.)


	2. Chapter 1: Of Anger and Comic Books

not really, but i wanted to catch ur attention

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**dodges a pitchfork or two Sorry for the wait!! For once, it's my beta's fault…but technically not at the same time. Her finals (and mine) were more important than fanfics…but summer is here now, so hopefully more updates! XD**

**Chapter 1 - ****Of Anger and Comic Books**

"Seven years, Danny. Seven _years_!"

"I already said I was sorry; what more can I do?"

"How 'bout you spend the next several years of your life tracking down _another_ first edition copy of Superman volume 1?" Naomi shouted loudly at him. _How many times does she want me to apologize?!_

"Guys?" Sam's soft tone tried to interrupt them, but they paid her no notice.

"Whoa, you had a Superman volume 1? Bummer…" Tucker spoke up after Sam's failed attempt. _Not helping Tuck!_

"Miss Cohen! Mr. Fenton!" The two squabbling teenagers turned their heads towards the front of the classroom, guilty expressions etched on their faces. "As _fascinating _as your discussion is, perhaps you'd be so kind as to allow _me _to teach my class and to continue _your_ conversation at a more appropriate time such as lunch, or, if you feel so inclined, detention?" The pair slunk down in their seats at the man's annoyed expression.

"Sorry, Mr. Lancer," they said together. Satisfied, the heavy-set teacher turned back to the blackboard. _Great, like I don't already have enough problems with Lancer…_ Danny looked over at his friend, whose angry gaze remained trained on the front of the room. _Is she gonna stay mad at me all day?_

"Naomi," he whispered, trying to get her attention but failing miserably. _Maybe she didn't hear me…_ He tore a small corner of paper from his notebook and quickly scribbled on it. Flicking the note in the air, it landed squarely on the back of Naomi's hand. _Ha, perfect!_ He watched intently as she looked down at the paper and his spirit sunk when she brushed it casually onto the floor. _Damn, she is really stubborn…I'm gonna get in trouble for this, but I can't just let her get angrier and angrier until lunch rolls around…_

Glancing toward the front to see that Lancer was still facing the board, babbling on about proper nouns, Danny leaned across the aisle with his pencil outstretched. Just as he was about to poke Naomi with the eraser, her hand grabbed his arm and she turned in her seat toward him.

"Knock it off," she hissed, an aggravated look on her face.

"But-" He started to protest when Mr. Lancer turned around again.

"Miss Cohen, is there a problem?" She turned her gaze to the teacher, her irate expression instantly sliding into one of polite indifference.

"Yes, Danny keeps bothering me, sir."

"Well feel free to move your seat. And Mr. Fenton…I'll see _you_ in detention." _Aw, dang it! _He groaned loudly and Naomi chose that moment to let go of his wrist. Danny had leaned over quite far to reach her and when she'd grabbed his wrist, he'd forgotten to balance the rest of his weight properly. Now, without her support, he tumbled into the aisle and the class burst into laughter. _She knew that was gonna happen; she did it on purpose! She must really be angry…_ He lay still on his stomach for a few moments, letting the class get their laughs out, before slowly pushing himself off the floor. Sinking back into his seat, he fought his invisibility reflex even though he sorely wished to disappear, when a note suddenly dropped into his lap. He glanced over at Naomi, who was gathering her books, but she gave no indication that it was from her. She moved to an empty seat near the door and Lancer resumed his lesson again.

_I wonder who…_ His thought trailed off as he carefully unfolded the note. In neat handwriting was written: _Leave me alone. I will talk to you after school._ That was it; there was no name, no trademark smiley face with the tongue sticking out, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was from Naomi. _Dang, she really is mad if she's not even gonna talk to me at lunch…_

He turned to his side to show the note to Sam, who only gave him a look of sympathy and a shrug. Then, as if sensing where his thoughts were headed, she snatched the paper from him and handed it to Tucker.

"Sorry, man," his friend whispered and Danny sighed. _Could this day get any worse?_

* * *

"Danny, quit being paranoid," Sam said, carefully picking through her salad. _She must be checking to make sure the cafeteria staff didn't slip meat into them again…_

"I can't help it; who knows what they're talking about over there!"

"Probably shoes or boys or something. Anyway, she's not gonna spill your secret to Valerie, so relax, man," Tucker spoke up as he warily poked the "meatloaf" on his tray with a fork. "Does this look like it's moving to you?"

Danny stared across the room to look at Naomi. She and Valerie started laughing about something and his stomach twisted into a hard knot. _How can I not be worried?_ A hand touched his and he jumped slightly. Turning back to his own table, he found himself staring into calm violet eyes.

"Danny, stop worrying."

"How can I not? Naomi knows my secret and is horribly mad at me, because said secret had a hand in destroying her most prized possessions, which took tremendous amounts of money and time for her to acquire in the first place _and_ right now she's sitting with one of my more dangerous enemies talking about only God knows what! Now tell me…why _shouldn't_ I be worried?"

"Nice rant, man." Tucker grinned at him but Sam still held his gaze.

"Of the three of us, I know that I'm the most ready to be suspicious about Naomi and her intentions. But I'm not nervous because telling Valerie your secret isn't her style, no matter how angry she is. And if you're really _that_ concerned, then just go over there and talk to her."

"She told me to leave her alone until after school."

"Since when do you listen?" Tucker interrupted.

"I hate to say it, but he's right." Sam smiled at him and he sighed. _Yeah, he is…_

"All right, all right. I'll go over there," Danny said, rising from his seat. _I wonder just how many pieces Naomi is going to try and rip me into for bothering her again…_

* * *

Naomi anxiously watched Danny stare at her out of the corner of her eye and she sighed with relief when he turned away.

"Thanks for pretending that I'd said something funny," she said, smiling across the table. Valerie waved her hand to the side.

"Nah, no problem. But you _could_ tell me why you're avoiding him." Naomi sighed and began tugging on her earlobe. _Damn this nervous twitch…_

"It's a…long story. Short version would be he ruined something really important to me."

"Wow, that sucks." Naomi nodded and they chewed in silence for a few moments.

"You know, Valerie, I gotta thank you for not acting like I was an absolute freak when I sat down." Valerie waved again.

"Don't worry about it. It's always cool to meet new people and besides…you didn't seem like a freak to me." _Valerie is totally awesome…_

"We should hang out sometime…when I'm not avoiding a friend." They both giggled together and Naomi smiled.

"How about Saturday?" Valerie asked. "We could go to the mall and hang out there."

"Sure, sounds great!" Naomi replied happily. Valerie quickly scribbled on some paper and slid it across the table to her new friend. _What's this?_

"That's my phone number. Call me later and we'll make plans because…one, the bell is about to ring and, two…" She started to rise from the table, glancing at something behind Naomi. "Danny's walking over here."

Naomi rapidly turned in her chair to see that Valerie was correct and Danny was slowly walking toward them, a determined expression on his face. She turned back to face Valerie, who shrugged. Rising to her feet as well, she smiled at her new friend and tried to figure out how to act towards Danny. _I told him not to bother me…I needed the time to calm down, but if he really wants to do this now…_

"Call me later, 'kay?" Valerie asked just as the young boy reached them and Naomi nodded at her.

"Listen, Naomi, I know you're mad but I just…I need to talk to you now, okay?" She slowly turned around so that she was face-to-face with Danny and stared at him until his eyes began signaling that his resolve was fading. Then, without waiting for him to speak again, she grabbed her bag from the floor and shoved past him, heading for the exit and leaving him stunned behind her.

"Whoa, harsh." She heard Valerie say before the heavy cafeteria door slammed shut behind her. _Serves him right._

* * *

I agree with Val, totally, totally harsh…XD

Reviews love, I seriously want feedback…

Anyway, hope to have the next chapter up soon, two-three weeks maybe? crosses fingers


	3. Chapter 2: Ask

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

***runs from angry mob* I apologize that it took so long for this update. I have many, many various reasons, which I went into a bit more detail on my profile if anyone is interested. I really hope to have another chapter done soon, though I plead for a little patience as my beta/editor is busy her own self, and I do now have a job…**

**Anyway, here is the WAY overdue update! Enjoy!**

**Chapter Two – Ask**

_Thump! Thump! Thump!_

"Danny, knock that off!" Sam scolded him before snatching away the heavy textbook that he'd been hitting himself in the head with. He sighed and rubbed the red mark on his forehead.

"I can't help it, I feel like an idiot," he said sullenly.

"Is it because you went and tried to talk to her while she was mad on the obviously bad advice from me and Sam, or the fact that everyone laughed at you right before the bell rang and in the shuffle for the door, knocked you on the floor?" Tucker asked. Danny and Sam both shot him angry looks and he held his hands up a bit. "Hey, don't tear my head off, it's true."

Danny sighed loudly again and slumped forward, resting his aching forehead against the desk. His head only partially hurt from the book, the rest was from his brain working in overdrive. _I can't believe how much this day sucked. I can't wait until this study hall is over and I can go home…aw crap, I still have that detention with Lancer…_

"Seriously Danny, it's gonna be okay. Naomi doesn't stay mad long," Tucker said, trying to cheer up his best friend.

"Yeah, you just need to give her the space to cool down," Sam added. Danny looked back up at them, an annoyed expression on his face.

"And where was that _brilliant _advice an hour ago?!"

"Sleeping. You know I can't think on a full stomach, man." Tucker grinned at him and Sam snorted.

"Yeah, but you can't think on an empty stomach either," she retorted. The two of them started playfully bickering while Danny looked back down at the table for a minute before finally closing his eyes. _This day has royally sucked…damn Box Ghost! It's his fault that I wrecked her comic books. I guess the way Naomi feels is probably how I'd feel if someone destroyed my NASA posters or something…_ Danny sighed softly, though no one heard it. _I wonder if I should even bother trying to ask her anymore…at least today. I mean, she was just so angry…_

* * *

Sam stared at the hallway wall across from Lancer's classroom. She and Tucker were sitting on either side of the door, waiting for Danny to finish his detention. It'd only been about five minutes, though, so she was guessing they'd have a bit of a wait. _At least the school cleared out fast today. We won't get run over sitting here…as long as the football team doesn't run drills in the hallways again._

Shifting a bit, as her skirt was riding up, Sam started drumming her fingers against her leg. _I wonder when Danny is going to be done. Maybe Lancer will keep it short, he wasn't being really disruptive in class…_

"Hey, I wonder where Naomi is…I mean, she knows Danny has detention," Tucker said, interrupting the silence in the hall. Sam shrugged.

"Maybe she's not coming." _If she's not coming, then maybe this means I can talk to Danny after Tuck leaves. There's that concert on Friday and I was hoping Danny would want to go…but…what if he thinks it's a date? Or worse, doesn't want it to be a date? _Sam sighed when her inner tirade was broken by the appearance of Naomi walking towards them.

"Hey Naomi, we were wondering when you were gonna show up," Tucker said after greeting her.

"Sorry, I…I got held up at the girls room." Naomi didn't add any more information, just sat down across the hallway from them. _Hmm…why don't I believe her…_ "So how long has he been in there?"

"I think about five or ten minutes," Tucker replied. Naomi sighed.

"So we've probably got a wait…" _No duh…Jeez, she does like to state the obvious, doesn't she?_

"Hey, are you done harping on Danny? I know you were upset but it's starting to take its toll…on his forehead," Tucker said. Naomi raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. "He was hitting himself in the head with a book after lunch."

Naomi covered her mouth with her hand, trying to keep herself from giggling. Sam opened her mouth to say something about how it wasn't funny when the door to Lancer's room opened and Danny walked out.

Danny's gaze fell on Naomi first and a small, happy smile formed on his face. _…what's with that smile? I…I've never seen him smile like that to her before…_

"Hi Naomi." Naomi stood up and smiled a bit at him too.

"Hi Danny. Before you ask, yes I'm still mad…but not as much. And I'm sorry about your forehead," she said. Danny's expression grew confused. "Tuck told me you were hitting yourself."

"Oh, that…" He blushed a bit. "Come on, let's go before Lancer decides he wants me to hang out more…" Naomi and Danny took off down the hall, talking more and leaving Tucker and Sam staring at them.

"What the…he didn't even acknowledge us! What are we, invisible?!" Sam ranted as they stood up and started following.

"Nope, that's him. He's the half-ghost, remember?" Tucker said, grinning. Sam rolled her eyes.

"The point is, he totally ignored us."

"Stop being jealous already."

"I AM NOT JEALOUS!"

* * *

As the group walked away from the school, all four of them were oddly silent despite the beautiful day outside, save for the random beeps coming from Tucker playing with his PDA. Sam's lips were turning white from pressing them together so tightly and Danny was watching his feet. Naomi sighed. _Guess everyone is mad at me but Danny just didn't understand, those comic books were like the only thing that's kept me sane these last seven years. I don't even remember why I started collecting them, but they were like my life-line while I was at that stupid boarding school…_

Danny suddenly stopped, causing herself and Sam to follow suit. Tucker, who wasn't paying attention, ran smack into Danny, knocking them both to the ground. After a moment of silent glances at each other, Sam and Naomi both burst out laughing. Tucker and Danny both grumbled as they untangled themselves from each other and stood back up.

"You guys didn't have to laugh so hard," Danny complained.

"Yeah, it wasn't that funny," Tucker said. "I nearly broke my PDA!"

"Sure, don't care that you landed on my head…" Their exchange just made Sam and Naomi laugh harder. The boys sighed and just shook their heads a bit.

"Anyway, Tuck, this is your stop," Danny said, pointing at Tucker's house.

"Ah, okay. See you guys later!" He ran into his house and slammed the door loudly behind him. Sam raised an eyebrow at Danny.

"Why did we drop him off first? Naomi's house is closer to the school…" Sam asked. Naomi tried to hold back a frown. _It's true but why does she care so much? I mean, Danny and I do have things to talk about…wait, maybe she's upset cause Tuck's house is closer to her's than mine…_

"Naomi and I have things we have to talk about. I was going to drop you and Tuck off first," Danny said bluntly. Sam frowned deeply.

"Fine, I'll just walk myself home." Without another word, Sam took off down the street, clearly angry. _Whoa, guess I was right…but still, _why _is she so upset?_

Danny looked at Naomi with a confused expression.

"Do you have any idea what that was about?" He asked. Naomi shrugged.

"Nope, no clue…But we should go, I have to get home soon." They started walking towards her house, Danny tentatively starting up a conversation about the recent comic book debacle. _Aw, he's trying to see how angry I still am…god, Danny is so cute when he's confused…_

* * *

Danny was groaning inside, wanting to kick himself. Naomi had been ranting about her comic books for the entire ten minute walk to her house. _Darn it! Why'd I have to bring it up? Her house is in sight and she hasn't let up yet! At this rate, she won't leave me anytime to ask her…_

"I think I was mostly just upset because you, like, decimated my Superman collection and those are getting rarer every day…" Naomi spoke, breaking into his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, but…they're just books, right?" He watched as Naomi's eyes widened and her face grew red. _Aw, damn it! Wrong thing to say, Fenton!_

"Just books? They aren't _just_ books, Danny. They were my life while I was at boarding school, plus, they were a huge investment for my future. Some of them are already worth a lot of money. My mother and I both poured thousands of dollars into my collection; every birthday or Christmas, my gift money went towards comic books. They're gonna protect me from a huge economic depression someday, when they're all worth thousands of dollars! My mother's been reading the political signs for ages, she knows it's coming and-"

"Look, I'm sorry. Really." Danny interrupted. "_But_, to change the topic, there was a reason why I wanted to talk to you alone. I really-"

"Well, what if _I _don't want to change the subject? You don't seem to understand what those comics meant to me…" Naomi continued once more with her tirade. _Gah!! She's impossible!_

"Will you _shut up_ about the damn comic books?! I am _sorry_; I've said it like a _million_ times already, and there's nothing else I can do about it. You're so busy ranting that you're not even listening to me anymore; for god sakes, I was _trying _to ask you out!" Danny shouted just as they'd stopped in front of her house. Naomi turned to look at him, her expression shocked. _…oops. That…wasn't exactly how I planned it._

* * *

Naomi blinked at her friend, stunned and confused. _What? Did he…he was trying to ask me out?_

"Huh?" She finally managed to force a word out. Danny sighed deeply, rubbing his neck nervously.

"I was planning to ask you out. But you've been so busy yelling at me that I couldn't get a word in. _Wow…he really does want to ask me out; it wasn't just my deluded imagination…provided I'm not imagining this too…_

"Yes."

"What?" Now it was Danny's turn to be confused. Naomi smiled almost shyly at him.

"My answer. It's yes. I'd love to go out with you."

"That's it? It was that easy? I don't even have to be all formal and romantic about it?" He asked. Naomi shook her head, giggling slightly at his relieved expression. "Well, that was a huge relief…"

"Maybe I should yell at you more often." They both grinned at each other, the tension between them quickly evaporating. "So…what were you thinking of?"

"For what?" Danny's brow furrowed in confusion again. Naomi sighed.

"Details for the date. Day, plans, dress style, etc. A girl needs to know these things."

"Oh! I was thinking…um…"

"Beware!" A voice suddenly shouted from behind them. They sighed in tandem.

"Not again, you pain in the butt!" Naomi glared at the Box Ghost who looked a tad confused at her expression for a moment, as if he didn't remember her from earlier that week, before flying into the air. Danny quickly ducked behind her trashcan and transformed into his ghost mode, flying up into the air after the pudgy pest. Naomi stared up at them, watching the fight with a half-smile on her face. _He asked me out…I'm going on a date with Danny…and here I thought this day was going to suck…_

After several minutes the Box Ghost was soundly defeated and Danny floated down towards Naomi, a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Now that he's gone…how about Friday night, Naomi?"

* * *

Again, I apologize for the wait. All I can do is beg forgiveness.

I'll try to get another one soon, no promises on exactly when though. However, I desperately miss this, so I've definitely got some good ideas brewing.

See you soon (hopefully)!


	4. Chapter 3: Phase One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

***hides behind computer* *begs forgiveness* Well…here's an update! I've been writing more as of late, finally getting back into the flow…hope you like it!**

**

* * *

Chapter Three – Phase One**

The next day, Naomi was practically bouncing in her seat by lunchtime. She just couldn't bring herself to stay still. She and Danny had agreed to tell Sam and Tucker about their date at lunch so they would all have plenty of time to talk about it. Naomi was both anxious and excited to talk to them, but even more was her desire to actually hear Danny tell them that he'd asked her. _I still can't believe he really asked me…I'm going on a date with Danny!_ She tapped her fingernails impatiently against her desk while staring at the clock above the blackboard that Mr. Lancer was currently writing on. Grateful that his back was turned so he wouldn't see that she wasn't copying the notes, Naomi once more fought the inner-urge to squeal excitedly. It was only Tuesday and she wasn't sure how she was going to last until Friday. Suddenly, she caught Sam trying to get her attention. Across the classroom, her gothic friend mouthed "What's up?" Naomi shook her head at her and mouthed back the words "At lunch." With a sigh and a shrug, Sam turned back to her notes though Naomi did not.

After a few more minutes of clock-watching, the bell rang._ Finally! Now to go meet Danny…_ Naomi gathered her stuff up quickly and leapt from her seat, rushing out the door so fast she literally spun people around.

"Walk, Miss Cohen!" Lancer shouted after her, though she ignored him. She hurried to meet Danny at his locker only to find him leaning casually against it. Naomi grinned as she walked to him.

"Trying to look cool, Danny?"

"Hey, I don't have to _look_ cool," he said, in a mock "smooth" tone.

"Yeah, cause you'll never achieve it either way," she replied with a smirk, enjoying their witty banter.

"…ouch." Danny put his hand over his heart, pretending like he'd been stabbed.

"Anyway…I'm so excited, I don't think I'll be able to wait until Friday; I'm pretty sure I'll fail any test on whatever material we got from Lancer. Hey, how _did _you beat me here?" Danny smiled at her.

"I wasn't in Lancer's." He glanced around and leaned closer to her. "Ghost sense went off so I was beating up the Box Ghost for all of last period."

"Man, he's been a royal pest lately…"

"Yeah…let's go get some lunch." Naomi nodded in agreement, grinning again.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Danny and Naomi, the exchange between the two of them was once more being watched by an invisible eye. _It seems the boy either cannot sense me or this "Box Ghost's" presence overrides my own energy. Whichever it is, at least this seems to mean I will not be detected around them. This will prove quite useful to my plans._ The otherworldly entity followed them, unseen and intangible, as they walked among the other students. Quickly ascertaining the meaning of their conversation, he immediately began to alter his plan. _If these two seek to court one another, that will make my task so much easier. That "Sam" girl and the other man-child both individually lust for these two. The emotions of envy are already festering within them; it will be mere child's play for me to tap those wells of power and bring their jealousy boiling to the surface. Perhaps that "witchy woman" was not as foolish as she appeared…_

* * *

"What?" Sam's angry voice carried though the lunch room loud enough to bring several other conversations to a screeching halt.

"Not so loud, Sam," Naomi said, trying to calm her friend, who simply ignored her. _Wow, Sam seems really pissed…why?_

"What did you say, Daniel Fenton? And in _detail_!" Danny sighed deeply.

"Naomi and me are going on a date. Friday night. Dinner and a movie. If you want more detail than that, then you'll have to help me pick my outfit first."

"You two are absolute morons. This will tear apart our friendships!" Sam shouted. It was Naomi's turn to sigh and she tried to tune them out as the two began arguing. _I didn't think Sam would be this jealous…but maybe she does have a little bit of a point. We do have to be careful or we might risk our friendship…no, Danny and I won't let that happen._

"Daniel Fenton, you're a colossal idiot and I…ugh! I can't deal with this!" Sam pushed away from the table as she stood up and stormed off, nearly running over a few other students on her way out. Danny slumped back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared dejectedly at the table.

"Wonderful, now she's pissed at me."

"To be honest, I think she's mad at _both _of us," Naomi replied, putting a comforting hand on Danny's arm, causing him to sigh loudly.

"She'll get over it," Tucker said softly, staring at his lap, and they both turned to look at him in tandem. _Tucker was so quiet during the fight, I almost forgot he was here. At least he didn't throw a fit like Sam…although, I wonder if he's mad at us too…_

"Tuck…" At Danny's voice, Tucker looked up at them. "…are you okay? With this…date? I mean, we know Sam's pissed but…"

"Your opinion matters to us too, Tucker," Naomi finished, smiling at him. Tucker suddenly broke out into a grin.

"Yeah, man, I'm cool with it. Just have tons of fun, and have details the next day when we hang. I especially wanna know if Naomi ends up in a fountain again." Naomi blushed bright red and frowned.

"That was Danny's fault and it ruined our date! And don't laugh!" She yelled as the boys slid to the floor in hysterics, both obviously picturing how she'd looked after climbing out of the fountain on her very first date with Tucker. _Boys!_

_

* * *

Why, Danny? Why…_her_? Why not me? I've been here this whole time and she comes out of nowhere and…_ Sam once again wiped a fresh wave of tears from her eyes as she sat in the bathroom stall, hiding from her friends. _I'm pathetic, waiting around for him to ask me…and being upset when he doesn't…Naomi is my friend, I shouldn't hate her…but I do, cause she gets to be with Danny…_

The bell rang loudly, signaling the end of lunch. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes again but she brushed them away as she stood up and grabbed her bag. Slamming the door open, she paused when she saw her reflection in the mirror over the sinks. _God, I look horrible…_ Her eyes were a puffy red and her skin was paler than she'd ever seen before. _Maybe I should just skip…I don't think I can face any of them right now… _A teardrop slipped from her eye and slid down her cheek, dripping onto the floor as she just watched it in silence.

"God, Danny…why?"

"Geez, spazz much, _Samantha_?" A scornful tone commented from by the main door to the bathroom. Sam glanced over and saw that Paulina had walked in sometime during her silent lament. Her eyes narrowed in anger at the popular girl.

"Leave me alone, Paulina."

"Don't know why you're crying over Danny. He's just some little loser," she said, stepping up to the mirror to adjust her makeup.

"Leave me _alone_." Sam's eyes shifted to the side, so she wouldn't have to watch Paulina study her own reflection.

"Even if he wasn't so unpopular, he'd still be a loser for being so clueless that you like him," Paulina said as she dabbed at her freshly applied lipstick with a tissue. _Danny's not a loser…but she's still right, he has been pretty clueless when it comes to how I feel…_ "I mean, you've been hanging out with him for years, yet he asked Naomi out instead of you."

"How do you know that?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow and looking back at her. Paulina rolled her eyes.

"I'm the most popular girl in the school; gossip _always_ reaches me first. And Danny asking Naomi out is pretty good gossip."

"Should've known it be a hollow reason…"

"I know you think I'm shallow, but let me ask you something. Are you sure Danny doesn't know how you feel? Or does he just not feel the same way back?" Paulina smirked and walked out of the bathroom. Sam stared at the mirror again, feeling a fresh surge of tears wavering behind her eyes. _Is she right? Does he just not care? Is that why he hasn't asked me out? Did he ever like me to begin with or was I deluding myself? I have so many questions now and no way to get answers…_

"I'm so confused…why is he doing this to me?"

"Because he wants you to hurt," a soft voice whispered in her ear. Sam whirled around, looking for whoever had spoken to her, but the bathroom was utterly empty.

"Who's there? Are you a ghost? Hello?" She called for several minutes and received no answer. _Must've been just my imagination…or my brain, maybe…would Danny really hate me enough to hurt me like this on purpose? Could he be using Naomi to make me upset and jealous? I wouldn't have thought so before but…_

"I guess it's possible that…" Sam said to her reflection. "…that Danny is using us." The bell rang again, letting Sam know she was late. Quickly dashing out the door, she didn't see the pair of red eyes glowing in mid-air, slightly above where her ear had been.

* * *

Tucker slammed the door to his bedroom tightly behind him and leaned up against it, closing his eyes. He'd already passed the gauntlet of dealing with his parents daily ritual of asking about his day with a semi-cheerful exterior, the same way he'd made it through the rest of the school day. He sighed deeply. _This day sucked…_ Pushing himself off of the door he threw his backpack onto the bed, slumping down into his desk chair and pulling his PDA from his pocket. His fingers flew across the buttons as he quickly pulled up his picture files. There was one folder of just Naomi, holding dozens of pictures from their ghost adventures, school, the mall, and most importantly, from their first date. _I know I told them it was cool, but it's tough to see her going with Danny…I know we broke up but…_

Flipping through the pictures, he landed on one of Naomi climbing out of the fountain on their first date. Cracking a grin, he clicked on the next one which was an image of Naomi curled up on his lap with popcorn in her hair, glaring up at the camera. _I remember that day…it was raining so we were watching some old movie on TV. I spilled popcorn on her and she chased me around the room… _The next photo was of Naomi upright and laughing, popcorn clinging to her hair. _And that was after she chased me into the kitchen and I fell headfirst into the garbage. She's so beautiful when she's laughing… _He sighed, gently tossing the PDA onto his pillow and then shoving his backpack onto the floor, half-angry and half-confused. _What do I do now? I still want her…_

"My best friend is dating the girl I love…man, this can't get any worse."

"He doesn't deserve her. She should be yours," a soft voice whispered in his ear, a shiver going down his spine. He snapped his head around rapidly, but saw no one and his shoulder tensed up.

"Who's there? I'm a trained ghost fighter! Don't mess with me, man! I'll tear you to ghostly shreds!" After a few moments, he relaxed. "Man, my head's messing with me…but…" _I guess it's kinda true…I mean, Danny doesn't deserve her, he has Sam…and the ghost powers, and the glory and…he has everything and he still takes the best thing I've ever gotten! Naomi dumped me after finding out about Danny Phantom; I bet he told her just so he could steal her from me! Some best friend!_

* * *

The ghostly creature faded through Tucker's wall, floating off towards the sun. _Phase one, complete._

**

* * *

Um…same as above :)**

**More soon I hope!**


	5. Chapter 4: Date Night

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

***decides not to make pathetic attempt at an excuse* We'll stick with - Been busy, life got in the way. Writing more (actually have two more chapters being edited right now by my beta) so hopefully more soon :D**

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**Chapter Four – Date Night**

Friday finally rolled around, much to Naomi's joy. That afternoon she sat at her dresser, slowly brushing her hair while she tried to pick an outfit in her mind. _Should I wear red, maybe the corset top with that mini-skirt…or maybe black, that slinky dress I bought that Mom doesn't like? Or something blue, that's Danny's favorite color…wait, do I even own anything blue?_

"How's it going, honey?" She looked up to see her mother's head peeking around the doorframe, and she sighed heavily.

"I'm fine, Mother. Why do you keep bugging me every five minutes?" Patty walked into the room, grinning. She was wearing a slim, strapless black dress that went down to her knees, accentuating her natural curves. Her hair was down, curls gently falling down around her shoulders and framing out her delicate features.

"What do you think? He'll like it, right?" She asked as she spun lightly around.

"Do I look like I can read _his_ mind? Why are you going out with him anyway?" Naomi's lips curved into a frown.

"Why are you going out with Danny?" Naomi blushed suddenly and her mother giggled. "Yeah, cause he makes me feel the same way you do about Danny. Now, just let me know if you need any help." Patty kissed her on the forehead before walking out and Naomi sighed again. _I guess I should be glad she didn't try to force that invitation again. I don't think I could deal with a mother-daughter date night, especially considering I'll be with Danny and she's going out with…Vlad._ She grimaced at the thought of the four of them together and the awkwardness that would ensue. _That would _not_ end well._

Standing up from her dresser, she went over to her closet and began picking through her clothes. _So where was I? Blue, hmm…Well, I guess I _do _own something blue. This should do great. _She grinned and looked at the clock. _Only a little longer, and then…our date. _Naomi fought back a squeal of joy. _I just hope he kisses me!_

* * *

Danny stood in front of his mirror, wearing a formal black suit with a blue tie that matched his eyes. He'd finally gotten his parents to leave him alone, but now he was dealing with another problem. _Why won't this work?_

"Need help, Danny?" Jazz asked, giggling as she poked her head around his doorframe.

"No! For the third time!" He shouted and Jazz scampered off, leaving him to continue tugging at his hair with a comb. _Lie flat, darn it…I never should've listen to Dad. That gel just made it stick up worse…_

"I can probably help you wash that stuff out." He sighed as he heard Jazz's voice again.

"No thanks!" He shouted without turning around.

"Aww, let me help. It's not every day my little brother has a grown-up date." She giggled again and Danny whirled around to face her where she stood in the doorway again.

"For the last time, out!" He flung the comb at her and she dashed away once more. _God, she's getting on my nerves._ He turned back to the mirror, poking at his hair and sighing. _I guess it doesn't look bad, just not what I wanted…I was hoping it would look neater than usual, not be stuck looking the same…_

Danny glanced down at his watch. _But I don't have time to wash it out, Naomi's supposed to meet me here in about 5 minutes…_ His train of thought was broken by the ringing of his cell phone. Without looking, he picked up, assuming it was Jazz trying to bug him again.

"What?" He growled.

"…Danny? It's Sam…"

* * *

Danny rubbed his temple with his left hand, still holding the phone pressed to his ear with his right. Sam was mid-rant for the third time since she'd called him and he'd figured it would be better not to interrupt her. _She said she wanted to work this out, not fight more…so why is she still yelling?_

Sighing slightly but hoping she didn't hear him, he glanced at the clock and saw that his time was rapidly running out. _She's gonna hate me for this…_

"Sam. Sam. Samantha!" He yelled, hearing her growl at him. "Sorry, but it's hard to stop you when you're screaming. I think I understand why you're angry but I don't have time-"

"You don't have time to listen to one of your best friends? Have you really turned into someone so selfish? I can't even believe you lately, you are acting so reckless and…"

Putting his hand to his forehead, he tried to tune her out again. _This is like a nightmare. I have to be dreaming…_ Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Sam, I have to go. Naomi's here," he said, leaving his room and heading for the stairs.

"I don't care, Daniel Fenton! You're talking to me right now, she can just wait! It's not like you care about _my _feelings, apparently…"

"Sam, listen to yourself! You've had no valid reason to ask me not to date Naomi and yet you still insist that I shouldn't. And you're calling me selfish? See anything wrong with this picture?" Danny was getting angry, taking the stairs two at a time and sprinting towards the door. The doorbell was ringing again, clearly an impatient hand leaning against it.

"You're so self-centered! It's not all about just you, Danny!" Sam continued to rant as he flung the door open, ready to apologize to Naomi for making her wait. But to his surprise, Tucker was standing on the doorstep, soaked to the bone by the pouring rain that Danny hadn't realized was there before. There was an expression in Tucker's eyes, that he had serious thoughts on his mind. He silently stared at Danny while Sam yelled in his ear.

"Sam, sorry, but I'll call you back." He clicked the phone shut, hanging up on his friend. "Tuck…what's up? Come in, dude." Tucker stepped inside, dripping on the carpet. As Danny stared at him in a bit of shock, he realized there were marks on his cheeks that were not made by rain. Tucker had clearly been crying and try as he could, the half-ghost could not remembering an occasion where that had ever occurred before.

"Danny…we need to talk," Tucker said. Danny sighed slightly. _Apparently, I'm going to be late either way tonight…_

* * *

**Um…yeah…**

**More soon I hope!**

**Leave me a review if you're actually still reading :P**


	6. Chapter 5: Fight

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**Umm…more life. More of it getting in the way :P**

**Still am a chapter ahead, so hopefully I won't make you wait too long for more :D**

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**Chapter Five – Fight**

"Danny…we need to talk," Tucker said.

"About what, Tuck?" Danny looked out the door nervously, wondering if Naomi was there yet. He was really hoping all this drama would be over before she showed up. For once, he was glad she was never on time.

"Look, I know what I said earlier this week but I really don't like that you asked Naomi out and…I don't want you to go." Tucker blurted, looking down at his feet and avoiding eye contact. Danny blinked a few times, stunned. _…huh?_

"But…I thought you said it was cool. For us to go and have fun, preferably with funny stories to share." Tucker sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I know what I said, Danny. But…I…I lied. I'm not okay with it; I just didn't want to hurt you, man. I was sitting home thinking and I realized that I should be honest with you cause you're my best friend. I…I still really like Naomi. And…I'd like it if you could respect that."

"Tuck, I do respect that but…you guys broke up. _And, _you gave us your blessing." Danny found himself getting angry again. "Naomi is free to do what she chooses and be with who she chooses."

"But you're the one who asked her out, not the other way around!" Tucker finally looked up at Danny, looking pissed.

"Are you saying if she'd asked me, you would be okay with it?" _Good, now we're both angry… _Danny thought, trying not to smirk. Tucker sighed deeply.

"No, but at least then I know you'd have actually thought about _my _feelings in this mess." _Great, another person yelling at me for not thinking about them…_

"You and Sam are both being a pain in the ass, do you know that? You've both basically called me selfish in the same half-hour. Was that planned or are you both just that self-centered?"

"Hey man, you know I still like her! I told you that, yet you still asked her out!" Tucker scowled at Danny, his hands bunching into fists at his sides.

"What, just because you're dateless means that I have to be too? What happens between Naomi and me is between _us_ and you have no right to tell me what I can or can't do!" Danny frowned deeply, feeling his right eye start to twitch a bit.

"You have _everything_, man! Superpowers, looks, being the savior of the town, glory…you have it all, Danny! Why did you have to take the one thing I ever had?"

"This is stupid, Tucker, what are you talking about?" Danny and Tucker were both screaming now, though Danny was becoming more confused by the minute. _Why are Tucker and Sam both so jealous? This is insane…_

"She broke up with me after she found out your secret! Did you tell her just so you could steal her? Are you really so cruel that you have to have _everything_?" Tucker started to move towards Danny like he was going to punch him. Danny reflexively fell back into a fighting stance, startled but by no means going to take a punch without fighting back.

"Whoa…what's going on here?" Both boys turned to see Naomi standing at the door, closing her umbrella. Having been drawn into the fight, Danny had forgotten to close the door and she'd just let herself in. She was wearing a strapless pale blue dress with matching shoes and her long hair trailed down her back. Danny only had a moment to think that she looked absolutely beautiful before someone spoke.

"Stay out of this, Naomi." Tucker said, moving towards Danny again. He swung at his best friend, who dodged to the side and then punched Tucker in the stomach. _Bastard. I'll show him how to fight…_ Tucker doubled over for a moment, and then tackled Danny to the floor. They started rolling around, both of them landing punches and kicking at each other. While he was fighting, Danny kept catching glances at the door. Naomi was still standing next to the open door, rain now hitting her arms and hair but she appeared to be too stunned by the fight in front of her to notice.

Tucker was now on top of Danny, relentlessly punching him in the face. Danny planted his feet in Tuck's stomach and kicked, launching him into the wall beside the open door. Tucker grunted and almost fell to his knees but caught himself by grabbing the doorframe. _…showed him… _Danny scrambled to his feet as Tucker staggered away from the wall, shaking his head. He wiped blood off his lip with his palm, looking at it disgustedly.

"I can't believe I was ever friends with you, man." He turned and walked out, quickly disappearing down the street.

Danny sighed, putting his hand to his nose as it had started to bleed a bit and Naomi stepped towards him, putting her hand on his arm, letting both of them feel a deep rip in the sleeve of the jacket.

"Are you all right, Danny?"

"…no, I'm not. I…can you just leave, Naomi? I…I'm not in the mood to go out…"

"Are…are you sure?" Danny looked at her face, which was full of disappointment. He felt guilt rise inside him, but it was quickly overridden with sorrow.

"…I wouldn't be any fun right now…and…I just lost my best friend…because we were fighting about you." Naomi blinked as he spoke, clearly shocked that they'd be fighting over her. "…so I think I shouldn't be around you right now. Please…just go…" He turned and slowly started to walk up the stairs, not really caring if she actually left or not. As he walked to his room, Jazz tried to speak with him, apparently having heard the whole fight from the kitchen, but he just ignored her and slammed his door in her face. _…Did I really just fight with Tucker…over a girl? Is Naomi really worth losing my best friend?_

* * *

**Um…yeah…I know it's short, but it's important :P  
**

**More soon I hope!**

**Leave me a review if you're actually still reading :D**


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